Externally-operable inclcsed safety-type switch



May 1, 1923. 1,453,740

- E, L. BRENK EXTERNALLY OPERABLE INCLOSED SAFETY TYPE SWITCH Filed Jan.17 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 1, 1923.

E. L. BRENK Filed Jan. 17, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 1, 1923.

UNITED STATES ERNEST L. 6F CICEEO, ILLINOIS.

EXTERNALLY-OPEBABLE IBTGLOS-ED SAFETY-TYPE SRVITCH.

Application. filed January 17, 1921.

1 an in drawin 's which form a nart oi this a a l specification.

The present invention has for its object to produce a simple and novelconstruction in which a service switch will be effectively inclosed, andwhich will permit the switch to be operated without opening theenclosure.

A further object of the present invention is to produce a simple andnovel inclosed switch, provided with an operating handle external to theenclosing casing, and provided also with interlocks between the han dleand the door or other movable element of the casing, whereby the casingcannot be opened except when the switch is open and whereby the switchcannot be closed in the usual way when the casing is open.

A further object of the present invention is to produce a simple andnovel externally operable inclosed switch in which the switch handleserves as a lock for the enclosing casing except when the handle is in apredetermined open position. a lock being provided for preventing thehandle from being brought into this predetermined position or, ifdesired, locking the handle and the casing together when the handle isin such prede termined position.

A further object of the present invention is to produce a simple andnovel externally operable inclosed switch in which the enclosing casingcannot be opened when the switch is closed and the switch cannot beclosed in the usual way when the casing is open, although it may beclosed by ne deliberately performing a certain operation ormanipulation.

The various features of novell v whereby my invention is characterizedwill hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but,for a full understandi a' of my invention and of its objects andfifiYflTb tages, reference may be had to the following: detaileddescription taken connection the accompanying drawings, wherein:

no. amen.

Figure 1 is a front elevation 01" a switch arranged in accordance with apreferred term of my invention, the larger part ol the door being brokenaway;

Fin. 0 is a side elevation of the switch, r cwei. T011) the side onwhich the operating handle lies;

3 a view similar to Fig. 2, showing only a fragment oi the switch, andthe handle oeing in a different position from that shown in Fig. 2;

157. is section, on a somewhat larger on line el l: of Fig. 1; and

. is a section on still larger scale, taken appronimatel; on line 5-5 ofFig. l.

lieif to the drawing, 1 represents a I on]? material, preferably metal,hich will usually be rectangular in shape but may of course take otherforms.

in the cor; is a suitable slab, 2. of insulating; mate ,l. carryingco-operating stationand movable contacts. In the arrangement shown, thestationary contacts are indicated at while the movable contacts are in Aterm of blades or fiat bars, a, each hinged its inner end to thesupporting slab as inl'cated at the outer ends being connected her by across-piece, 6. ot insulating terial. The switch handle consists of abar or plate, 7, fined to the member 8 and iroject' lateral q beyond oneend of the a L to the outside of the casing, where it pIOViflP-Tl with asuitable hand-piece or '3), $1. The siclcv wall oi the casing is prowitha long? narrow arc-shaped slot, 7 rough which thc member 7 oi" theswitch andle projects; this slot, in the arrange- ,-..-.nt shown,permitting; the handle to be re switch blades lie parallel with theinslab to a position in which they exght angles to the latter.

The 1 met at the casing: is open but is ate-1i: to be closed by door,10, which is ll on the side of the casing opt containing the slotthrough rich the switch handle pass sv The door intends the entire frontof the c sing and, along its free edge opposite the hinge, is providedwith a deep flange, 12, which, the door c d, has aaainst the outer faceof the side 0 containing? the s ot tli ou rh w switch handle passes. Thepart 12 of must of course be rovidcd with a slot, registering with theslot 9 in the casing when the door is closed; and it must also beprovided with a slot, 14, extending from one end of the slot 13 outwardiy through the edge of the flange 12, for the purpose of permittingthe flange to pass the switch handle when the door is closed. It willthus be seen that the door cannot be closed unless the switch handle isin a redetermined position, namely an open position which brings itopposite the slot, 14, in the door. as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.lVith the handle standing in the position illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5,for example, assuming the door to be open, the door could F not beclosed because the edge of the flange 12 would strike against thehandle.

It is desirable that the slot in the door be closed in such a way as notto leave a direct passage into the casing when the door is closed. Tothis end I have secured upon the flange 12 a suitable plate or casting,15, having a shallow wall, 16, extending along what may be termed thefront edge of the curved slot in the door at right angles to the planeof the flange 12, this wall having a flange, 17, overlying the slot andarranged paralled with but spaced apart from the flange 12 of the door.The member 7 of the handle. after passing through the slot in the sideof the casing is therfore bent rearwardly, as indicated at 18, and thenlaterally so as to be in position to clear the flange 17 when the dooris in its closed position. With this arrangement, the member 7 acts intwo ways to lock the door. The locking may be, first, between thestraight portion of the bar 7 and the slot 13 or, second, between theouter face of the flange 12 and the bend, 18, in the handle; themovement of the flange 12, upon the opening of the door, being forwardlyand at the same time laterally away from the side of the casing andtherefore causing this flange to strike against the bend, 18. in thehandle if it be attempted to open the door while the handle is in anyposition except that in which it registers with the slot 14:.

The member 15 may be provided with an ear, 19, having a hole, 20,adapted to register with a similar hole in the member 7 of the switchhandle when the switch is in its fully opened position. A suitablepadlock, such as indicated at 21 in Fig. 3, may be inserted throughthese registering openings so as to lock the switch open and. the switchcasing closed. If desired, the lock may be fastened to the ear, 19,alone, as shown in Fig. 3 so as to prevent the switch arm from beingswung into the doorreleasing position; this being the normal conditionwhen the switch is in use, permitting the switch to be opened and closedat will but preventing the casing from being opened until the lock isremoved.

It is desirable to provide means for preventin the closing of the switchwhile the casing is open. To this end I have placed within the casing inthe vicinity of the forwardv end of the slot, 9, through which theswitch handle passes, a suitable. lock device which may convenientlyconsist of a small protective casing, 22, in which is arranged aspring-held dog, 23. The member 7 of the switch handle is provided witha hole, 24, in position to be engaged by a. nose, 25, on the dog 23 whenthe switch is fully open. On the door of the casing is a pin, 26, whichengages with the dog when the door is closed and holds it in a retractedposition as shown in full lines in Fig. 5, the nose being with drawninto the casing 22 so as to be out of the path of movement of the member7 of the switch handle. Consequently, when the door is closed, theswitch handle may be swung up and down freely. As soon as the door isopened, the dog shifts automati cally from the full line position in Fig5 to the dotted line position. namely into in terlocking engagement withthe switch himdle. Thereafter the switch cannot be closed until thehandle is released from the dog; this bein normallv accomplished by theclosing 0 the door. In case a repair man desires to operate the switchwhile the door is open, he may use a nail or other small instrument toretract the dog in the same mannor that this is ordinarily done by thepin on the door when the door is closed. However. this requires adeliberate intentional manipulation different from the ordinary?operations or manipulations in simply closing or in operating theswitch, so that there is no danger that the switch handle will bereleased while the casing is open, unless it be the deliberate intentionof some one temporarily to neutralize the effect o the safety catch.

If desired, a suitable catch mav be provided for holding the doorclosed. In the arrangement shown a leaf spring 27. is fastened at oneend to the inside of the easing. At the free end of the spring is abutton or pin. 28.. adap ed to extend outwardly through registeringholes in the side wall of the casing and the -overlapping flange of thedoor when the door is closed, the whole constituting a spring catch.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a singlereferred form of mv invention. I do not desire to Ill be limited M theexact structural details thus illustrated and described: but intend tocover all forms and arrangements which come within the terms employed inthe definitions of my invention constituting the having at the otheredge a wide flange extending inwardly at right angles thereto and lyingin proximity to one of the side walls of the casing when the door isclosed, a switch device in said casing, said flange and said side wallof the casing having registering are-shaped slot-s therethrough, an

operating handle for said switch device urojecting through said slots,and said flange having a second slot extending from one end of thearc-shaped slot therein outwardly through one edge of the flange andpossessing a width sufiicient to permit the opening and closing of thedoor when said handle is brought into registration therewith.

2. A casing open on one side, a door extending across said open side.said door being hinged at one edge to 'the casing and having at theother edge a wide flange ex-- tending inwardly at right angles theretoand lying in proximity to one of the side walls of the casing when thedoor is closed, a switch device in said casing, said flange and saidside wall of the casing having registering arc-shaped slotstherethrough, an operating handle for said switch device projectingthrough said slots, and said flange having a second slot extending fromone end of the arc-shaped slot therein outwardly through one edge of theflange and possessing a width suflicient to permit the opening andclosin of the door when said handle is brought into registrationtherewith, a cover for the slot in the flange fixed to the flange andcomprising a shallow arc-shaped wall extending alone one edge of theslot and a, plate or rim extending from said wall across the slot andparallel with said flange, said handle being hent after passing throughthe slot so as to lie parallel with said plate or rim and then outwardlyfrom the same underneath the free edge of said plate oi run.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

ERNEST L. BRENK.

